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Scandinavians create Destination Sustainability Index

I am very happy to see that today we launched and published the Scandinavian Destination Sustainability Index, analyzing sustainability performance across 16 cities and 5 countries.

The index which can be downloaded here, uses 16 performance indicators to measure and benchmark the sustainability commitment and performance of the city government and the destination infrastructure (recycling, renewable energy etc), and the sustainability commitment and performance of the local meetings industry.

The Index is one of the deliverables of a multi-year ICCA Scandinavian Chapter project to create the world´s first sustainable meetings region. Already over 50 organizations including Convention and Visitor Bureaus, Destination Marketing Organizations, Venues and Agencies have signed the Scandinavia Sustainable Meetings Accord launched in March 2012. The Accord outlines 10 specific actions, which all signatories commit to, in order to advance sustainable development within the meetings and events industry.

The goal of the Index is to provide insights into the strengths and weaknesses of each destination and further a dialogue about best practices in the area of sustainable meetings. This project is unique in its scale and collaborative nature. With the competitive nature of the meetings industry, we are already seeing how the Index we help set strategic targets for the region and drive performance.”